Sheriff’s Office Dispatcher Killed in DUI Crash: Police

SAN LEANDRO, Calif. – An Alameda County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher was killed by a suspected drunken driver in San Leandro on Sunday, according to police.

At approximately 11:15 p.m., San Leandro Police responded to the intersection of East 14th Street and 150th Avenue for a report of a rollover vehicle collision.

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When officers arrived, they found an unconscious driver suffering from serious injuries. An investigation revealed her car was broadsided and then rolled over as she crossed the intersection. She was taken to hospital where she died from her injuries.

The woman was identified as Antoinette Finau, an emergency dispatcher with the sheriff’s office. The driver of the other vehicle was uninjured and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

According to police, Finau was on his way to work when the collision occurred.

“The San Leandro Police Department extends our condolences to the victim’s family and the men and women of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office,” said Lt. Jeffrey Walton in a press release sent out Monday. “This is a tragic loss of life and a painful reminder of the dangers of driving while impaired.”

The sheriff’s office posted about Finau on Facebook Monday.

“Last night we lost a dedicated, energetic and loving family member from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office,” the post said, saying she loved being a dispatcher and “was proud of her job because it she enjoyed helping others.”

The sheriff’s office said its agency, along with the California Highway Patrol, San Leandro police and members of Finau’s family, escorted her body to the coroner’s office in the early hours of Monday.

“Antoinette’s family said, ‘She was born a star and you accompanied her to this place like a star. We are grateful,'” the sheriff’s office said.

Finau was a loving mother, sister, daughter and friend, the sheriff’s office said.

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